Abstract
The temporal relationship between work-life balance/imbalance, occupational burnout, and poor mental health outcomes have been widely explored. Little has been forthcoming on cognitive functioning among those with work-life imbalance. This study aimed to explore the rate of work-life imbalance and the variation in neuropsychological functioning. The relationship between affective ranges (anxiety and depressive symptoms) and work-life balance was also explored. The target population in this study are Omani nationals who were referred for psychometric evaluation. The study employs neuropsychology measures tapping into attention and concentration, learning and remembering, processing speed, and executive functioning. Subjective measures of cognitive decline and affective ranges were also explored. A total of 168 subjects (75.3% of the responders) were considered to be at a work-life imbalance. Multivariate analysis showed that demographic and neuropsychological variables were significant risk factors for work-life imbalance including age and the presence of anxiety disorder. Furthermore, participants indicating work-life imbalance were more likely to report cognitive decline on indices of attention, concentration, learning, and remembering. This study reveals that individuals with work-life imbalance might dent the integrity of cognition including attention and concentration, learning and remembering, executive functioning, and endorsed case-ness for anxiety.
Highlights
Modern industrial economies that once only dominated landscapes in Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia are increasingly encroaching on societies in transition, often labeled “emerging economies” or “developing countries” [1]
According to the Oman labor law, employees who have been underperforming at their workplace or accruing many sick leaves are referred for psychometric evaluation to determine their occupational competence/fitness to work, and whether they are entitled to medical boarding or to transfer to less taxing workload
Those are participants who are under scrutiny for fitness to work. They constitute a convenient and selective group. In support of this view, the present participants were those who were referred by their place of employment for psychometric evaluation in order to determine fitness to work and if they are permitted for sick leave and/or receiving a less taxing workload
Summary
Modern industrial economies that once only dominated landscapes in Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia are increasingly encroaching on societies in transition, often labeled “emerging economies” or “developing countries” [1]. Urbanization and dependence on the modern cash economy have become a rule rather than an exception. Amid such changes, there is growing evidence to suggest that occupational stress or burnout once reported in industrialized countries are increasingly becoming common in many such societies in transition [2]. The Chinese sage, Confucius, who lived in the 6th century, is credited to have said: "choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Fast-forward to the 21st century and the ideal world of Confucius is teaching that appears untenable to most people in the labor force. The World Health Organization has recently labeled occupational burnout as a syndrome linked to long-term, unresolved, work-related stress [3]
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